Thunderstorm
by SidewalkChalk2718
Summary: While comforting Ryou one stormy night, Seto asks him a question he's been meaning to for a while now.  Eventual twoshot, fluffy SetoRyou.


_Disclaimer: Characters the of any or Oh Gi Yu own not do I sadly._

Thunder  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

Yay for sappy One shots! I was feeling the need to write this evening so I sat down and shoved this out of my brain; it's been in my mind for a while now. Eventually I'll just write something fluffy for these two, instead of my usual verging-on-angsty-seriousness.

So yeah, I see this as a mini-sequel to _City Lights_, but seeing as I haven't finish posting the chapters for that story yet, I'm the only one who will see it as a follow up. Otherwise this can be read as a separate entity. You don't need _City Lights_ to understand it.

No beta this time, sorry Jessy-chan, I was too anxious to post it. Now you can all see the atrocities of my comma use with your own eyes...

.------.

Ryou was sitting up in his bed, clutching the covers tightly against his chest. His head was buried into the blankets over his knees, and he held his breath, too terrified to let it go. A peal of thunder once again shook the sky, and Ryou trembled just as fiercely as that dark atmosphere beyond the window that spread over the city in a murky purple-green. A fantastic crack of white streaked down through the clouds, and Ryou felt his stomach dropping in anxiety.

One second passed.

Then another.

Two more.

One more.

kkkkkraACKkkkk...

Ryou pulled the blankets up over his head and clenched his teeth. He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he could only feel the muscles in his back tense and the cold adrenaline freeze his limbs. Then he felt the soft tears wind their way slowly down his cheeks. Tiny beads coursed down Ryou's face and gathered at his chin, like raindrops on the edge of a gutter, before falling onto the sheets.

Another flash of light penetrated the covers, and Ryou curled up onto his side waiting again for the inevitable ... CRACK!

This time the thunder burst forth violently on the world, and long rolls followed smoothly behind, pulling over the sky with slowly diminishing fervor. Each shockwave followed the next, as the storm approached the apartment, and melded into a continuous rumble that even the lightning couldn't break.

Ryou bit his lip and fought off the memories that now invaded his mind. But as the torrents of rain pounded against his window with a force nearly equal to that of the thunderous tumult, the scenes of past storms crept maliciously in.

He was alone again. His mother and sister were dead. His father was thousands of miles away. He was alone...

Then he wasn't, but the company was much, much worse than the silence. A sharp voice laughed in his mind, and it's words pricked at Ryou's skin.

"_How pathetic, yandoushi. (1) Scared of a little noise? I'll protect you ... just let me out. Rest in the silence of your soul and I'll handle reality."_

His other self had only worsened the fear of storms Ryou had felt as a child. He would lie in - and sometimes under - his bed praying that the noise and the voice would go away.

Now, tucked under the blankets, Ryou felt the familiar loneliness crawl up from his chest and lie heavily in his throat. He wanted contact. Anyone. Someone to bring him back to the present.

"Seto..." He whimpered, the plea strangled by the terror constricting his voice.

"Seto." He repeated, and another burst of lightning flooded the room in an unnatural white. His eyes burst open and he shoved the covers to the side, sliding off the bed and running to the door. He stumbled into the bathroom, all the light now trapped behind the door to his bedroom. He slowed his steps as he reached out for the door opposite him; and even more slowly he twisted the knob. The door swung open silently, and Ryou paused in the eerie soundlessness between lightning strikes.

Seto was turned towards him, one arm tucked under his pillow and the other relaxed over the blanket. He was asleep, or at least appeared to be.

Ryou hesitated. But as he contemplated turning around a familiar pair of blue eyes blinked open.

"Ryou?" The brunette was surprised. Pushing himself up onto his elbow, Seto looked over at his lover and noticed the way his body shook.

"Daijoubou ka?" (2) He sat up now, and faced Ryou.

"I..." Ryou looked down, embarrassed now that he had barged in. But as yet another lightning bolt made its way down to the earth Ryou's eyes turned to the window and widened in terror. He gripped the doorknob tightly as though it was the only thing supporting his weight.

Seto realized what had been troubling his koibito (3). He pulled the covers back and jerked his head towards the space next to him, looking from Ryou to the exposed sheets, then back at Ryou.

Just then the thunder crashed, and Ryou released the door, half-diving and half-falling into the bed. He buried his face in the pillows.

Seto looked down at his partner and rubbed one hand soothingly over his trembling shoulders. "Ryou, are you..." He paused as a pair of brown eyes peeked out from long white bangs to gaze up at him.

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?" Seto asked quietly, his voice low and calming. The messy white locks nodded in response, and Ryou buried his face deeper into the pillow.

Seto sighed and laid his body down next to Ryou, bringing the blanket up over both of them. He continued to circle his hand over Ryou's back in reassuring strokes as he tucked his head against Ryou's neck so that he could feel Ryou's soft hair and racing pulse. Sighing, he closed his eyes.

"It's just a noise, caused by the rapid expansion of heated air molecules in and around the lightning strike." Seto spoke matter of factly.

"It's not the noise, it's the memories." Ryou mumbled into the pillow.

"Hm?" Seto replied, bringing his hand up to pet his lover's head. Ryou rolled onto his side so that he was facing Seto.

"I think of how lonely I felt, back when I lived by myself. And then I think of ... my other self. I can't help but think he's going to come back again whenever..." He squeezed his eyes shut as the thunder continued, and dug his fingers into the pillow.

Seto wrapped his arm around Ryou and pulled the smaller man to him. Ryou brought his hand up to hold Seto's neck and nestled his head against Seto's shoulder. Seto resumed his gentle caresses, bringing the hand trapped beneath his body up to hold Ryou's.

"The tomb robber is gone, Ryou. I – Yugi and I – made sure of that. And I'd never let him hurt you if he did come back."

"...I know."

Their fingers twined together tightly. The two lovers remained like this for a long time until Ryou's breathing slowed down and the warmth of Seto's embrace drove away the cold fear in Ryou's lungs. Their breath danced lightly over each other, and Ryou snuggled closer into Seto's arms.

"Ryou..." Seto spoke into his koibito's soft hair.

"Hm?" Ryou replied, sleepily.

"You... That is..." Seto frowned slightly as he searched for the words. Ryou felt his heart beat a little faster at Seto's uncharacteristic hesitation. Seto sighed, and this tickled Ryou's scalp so that he smiled as he looked up into his favorite pair of perfect blue eyes.

"I've noticed that sometimes, when I have to work really late, you come and sleep in here."

Ryou nodded.

"I do that when I miss you..."

They both blushed a little, though Ryou's was, of course, darker. There was another pause then Seto looked away awkwardly.

"Could you... do that more often?" Seto's voice was quiet, almost a whisper now. Ryou smiled bigger now, but Seto was still looking away so he continued to speak, unsure of his words. "All the time..."

Ryou tilted his chin up to kiss Seto softly. It was short, but it effectively silenced him.

"Yeah."

Seto's embrace tightened, and Ryou was soon asleep, all thoughts of the storm long forgotten.

When Seto woke up the next morning, Ryou was still sleeping soundly beside him. His palm was cupped gently and the back of his hand still lay against Seto's fingers. Seto lay still a long moment to gaze at Ryou's beautiful features, his slightly parted lips, and the way his bangs fell over his eyes, obscuring the lashes that fluttered as Ryou dreamt.

He would never feel right waking up alone again.

.------.

Notes…

(1) Yami no Bakura's nickname for Ryou, basically calling Ryou his property.

(2) Are you okay?

(3) Lover (gender neutral)

Awwwwwwwww, so cute. I'll probably make this a two-shot, because there's a very closely related one shot in my brain that follows this.

That's all, for now.

--SC


End file.
